Trimming attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

J. W. DBWBBS.

TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES. N0. 266,783., P'atend Oct. 31, 1882.

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. filmini! mmnr f UNrritn States Parent @terrors JOHN YV. DEWEES, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRllVilVllNG ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,783, dated October 31, 1882.

Application led March 1S, 1852.

and Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section, of a sewing-machine with my improved trimmer attachment applied. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the trimmer. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of same. Fig. is a transverse section of sa me. Fig. 6 is another cross-section of same. Fig. 7 is a vertical detail section of jaws ot trimmer, and Fig. S a side elevation of upper part of lower jaw.

My invention has for its object to provide means for removing superfluous edges from hosiery and other fabrics while being stitched without employing knives, shears, or other devices having cutting-edges which require to be sharpened.

My invention Consists of a trimmer which operates to sever fabric by pressure or abrasion, as distinguished from cutting or shearing, said trimmer being composed essentially of togglelevers or cam-jaws and means for communieating a rocking motion thereto, whereby the fabric to be trimmed will be severed or ruptured in the act of passing between said jaws.

Referring to the accompanying' drawings, A indicates the bed-piece, B the cloth-plate, G the head, D the main shaft, and E the needleoperating lever, of a sewing-machine to which my improvements are applied.

I would here remark that my improvements are independent ot' any particular kind of machine, though in the drawings they are shown in connection with a Willcox tv Gibbs machine.

F represents a bracket or plate rigidly fast' B, parallel with the line of feed.

g and h are two levers pivotally secured to or on said plate at g3 and h, respectively. Said levers at their adjacent ends are cam-shaped,

(No model.)

or formed with curveded ges g h', which are segments ot' circles of different diameters, the circle of which, L, is a segment, being the larger. Viewed transversely or in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 7, the edge g is straight or tia-t, the edge h being curved or rounded, said two edges meeting' tangentially face to face, and not lapping as the edges of shears do. The levers g l1 have each a tooth, g2 h2, as shown, which teeth gear with each other, so that when a vibrating motion is communicated to leverg lever It will be caused to swing, the edges g It rocking or rolling on one another with considerable force, the effect being that it' hosiery or other fabric be fed between said edges it will be severed or ruptured by the pressure or abrasion of the latter as quickly, as cleanly, and as perfectly in every respect as il" cut with a knife or with shears.

To communicate a rockingor toggle motion to the jaws, various means may be employed within the scope of my invention, and I shall now proceed to describe those illustrated in the drawings.

I represents a screw passing through the feed-barKot' the machine and entering a vertical slot, h3, in the lever h, said feed-bar deriving its motion, as usual, from the shaft D. As the feed-bar moves the lever t is vibrated, communicatingmotion to the lever' g and causing the edges y Il. to rock on one another, as already described. lhe severance of the fabric by the trii'nmer-jaws is eifected while said fabric is moving or being fed, the operation in this respect being unlike that ot' shear-trimmers, which latter effect their cnt while the fabric is stationary and the feed-bar making its backward motion; but instead of moving the lever h from the feed-bar a shaft parallel with the main shaft, and deriving its motion therefrom by means of an eccentric collar and lever, and having a link or connecting-rod between it and the lever It, may be employed.

To provide for adjusting the edges of the levers or jaws g '/t toward each other, to take up wear or lost motion, the construction shown in the drawings may be employed.

L represents a crosshead or slide adapted to bemovcd vertically in the guides l L', fastened to the bracket F.

M is a lever fulcrumed at m on said bracket,

and having its opposite end formed with a vertical opening for the passage of a screw, N, which enters a threaded opening in the guide l.

Between the lever M and the head of the screw N is a spring, fn, designed to give an elasticbearing to the said lever; but this spring may be dispensed with and the bearing made rigid.

O represen ts a set-screw tting in a threaded opening in the lever M, its upper end bearing against the cross-head or slide L, which latter affords a pivotal bearing at l2 for the lever h. Now, by turning the screw O the lever h may be adjusted vertically or moved upwardly'toward the lever g and wear or lost motion taken up. The jaws stand normally open-thatis, touchingr at one point, and with their edges receding or Haring toward the operators side of the machine. The bracket F has a Haring slot,j`, which registers or coincides substantially with the opening or mouth. of the jaws, as shown.

The advantages of the foregoing-described construction are brietly as follows: The parts are simple in construction,and therefore easily made.A In operation a perfect severance or rupture ot' the fabric is effected as cleanly and as rapidly as by cutting or shearing. As the jaws have blunt edges normally, they do not become dull nor require sharpening as knives and shears do.

It' made ot'suitable material-properly-hardened steel, for eXample-thejaws will last for a very long time without calling for any care or attention, the only wear upon them being that due to friction, which is incidental to the movingp'arts ofall machinery. By the means described such wear may be readily taken up without removing the trimmer', so that a ma.-

chine provided with my improvements can be, used more constantly than one having a. shearing attachment, which requires to be't'requently sharpened and to he removed for that purpose.

What. l claim as myinvention is asfollows:

1. A trimmer or device for removing parts of hosiery or other fabric, comprising two jaws or cams having blunt edges which are opposed to each other, and which operate by a rocking motion to produce a severance or rupture of the fabric by pressure or abrasion, substantially as set forth.

2. A fabric-trimmer comprising two levers arranged to form a toggle, and having segmental opposing severing or rupturing edges adapted and designed to be rocked on each other, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a fabric-trimmer, the combination of the pivoted levers g h, one having a dat and the other a round severing or `rending edge, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a fabric-trimmer operated by or in connection with the working parts of a sewingmachine, the combination, with the bracket F, of severing or rupturing toggle-levers g h, having gear-teeth g2 h2, substantially as shown and set forth.

5. The combination, with a sewing-machine, of means for rupturin g or severing by pressure or abrasion hosiery or other fabric while being stitched, such means comprising two blunt jaws between which such fabric is passed while being fed to the needle, and mechanism for rocking the abrading edges of said jaws against each other, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, vwith the severing orrupturing interlocking cam or toggle levers g h, of feed-bar K and screw or pivot k, substantially as shown.

7. In a fabric-trimmer designed and adapted to be operated by or in connection with the working parts ot' a sewing-machine, the combination, with the severing or rupturing cam or toggle levers g h, and shaft D, of intermediate mechanism, substantially as shown and described, for communicating a rocking motion to said levers, as set forth.

8. In a fabric-trimmer designed and adapted to be operated by or in connection with the working parts ot a sewing-machine, the combination, with the severing or rupturing cam or toggle levers g IL, ot' means, substantially as set forth and shown, for adjusting one of said levers toward the other, for the purpose described.

9. In a fabric-trimmer designed and adapted to be operated by or in connection with the working parts of a sewing-machine, the combination, lwith the severing or rupturing cam or toggle levers g h, of slide L and adjustingscrew O, substantially as shown and set forth.

10. The combination of bracket F, the severing or rupturing cam or toggle levers g h, feed-har K, cross-head L, guides l l', lever or bar M, and adjustingscrew O, the several IOO parts being constructed for operation substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of March, 1882.

JOHN W. DEWEES.

Witnesses ANDREW ZANE, Jr., M. D. (JoNNoLLY. 

